NEW MEXICO GAME NOTES | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team (16-14, 9-8 MW) will finish the regular season Saturday in Reno, Nevada against the Nevada Wolf Pack (18-11, 10-7 MW) at 7 p.m. PST/8 p.m. MST on ROOT Sports.
The Lobos enter their season finale jockeying for position in the 2016 Mountain West Conference Tournament. The Lobos control their own destiny Saturday, as a win seals the fourth seed in the conference tournament, and a back-to-back matchup with the Wolf Pack in the MW Quarterfinals. If the Lobos fall on Saturday, they will be looking to UNLV’s result at San Diego State to see where they finish. If the Rebels fall, the Lobos finish fifth and still face Nevada. If UNLV wins on the road, the Lobos fall to the sixth seed and face San Jose State in the first round of the tournament.
A win would seal the fourth seed over Nevada in a tiebreak, due to the team’s win over the Wolf Pack back on Dec. 30, 88-76. More than two months later, the scenario is eerily similar. Then, the Lobos snapped a four-game losing streak to open conference play, and parlayed that victory into winning seven of nine games.
Nevada will be looking to close a strong conference campaign and grab a top-four seed. Despite Wednesday’s 76-57 loss at Boise State, the Wolf Pack have won five of their last seven games. They are 11-2 at home this season, with their last home loss coming against San Diego State on Jan. 26. Since then, they have dropped Air Force, Fresno State, Utah State and Colorado State in their arena.
The Coaches:
Head coaches Craig Neal and Eric Musselman have a unique history dating back to their time with the CBA’s Rapid City Thunder. From 1989-90, Neal played point guard for the Thunder while Musselman was the team’s young head coach. Neal went on to play professional basketball until 1995 and eventually became an NBA scout before beginning a decorated collegiate coaching career. Musselman went on to become an NBA head coach, but now the two find themselves as head coaches in the tough MW Conference.
Series History:
The Lobos are 5-1 all-time against Nevada, with the series starting in 2013. The Lobos’ only loss to Nevada came on Feb. 14, 2015 in a 66-63 overtime loss on the road. Prior to last year’s loss, the Lobos were 2-0 in Reno, with a 75-62 victory on March 6, 2013 and a 72-58 win on March 2, 2014.
Broadcast Information:
The game will be televised on ROOTS SPORTS. The broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. MST and air exclusively on ROOT SPORTS in most areas of New Mexico, as well as Colorado, Eastern Wyoming, and portions of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. The game may also be available in additional markets, so please check your local listings.
For fans tuning in on the radio, Robert Portnoy will give the play-by-play action alongside analyst and Lobo great Hunter Greene on 770 KKOB, the flagship station of the New Mexico Lobos. This feed will also be available via the TuneIn Radio App.